Allen Park Public Schools issued the following announcement on Aug. 17.
Our team is filled with excitement as we prepare to welcome students back to the buildings for a school year that promises to resume many traditions and engagements for our students, families, and staff, while adhering to recent Recommendations for Safer School Operations from MDHHS. After many changes in the delivery of instruction and schedules over the past two school years, we are thrilled to return to five full days of in-person instruction in all buildings. For those families who are not quite ready to return to full in-person learning, the district is offering a virtual option, please click here to learn more. We acknowledge the decisions surrounding the opening of school will impact each of you and generate a wide variety of responses. The education of our 3,800 students is of the utmost importance, and we acknowledge our awesome responsibility in setting the conditions for their academic and interpersonal growth. While following the protocols set by the Wayne County Department of Health & Human Services, by the end of March 2021, the district had quarantined 657 students, those students missing 10-14 days of school for each quarantine period. Additionally, 167 students/staff were isolated due to a positive COVID-19 result.
Our focus in all decision-making is to keep students safe and physically present at school. Per the guidelines from the CDC and MDHHS, school districts that opt for universal face coverings are cleared for a “close contact quarantine exception,” which states that “In the K-12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student if both the infected student and exposed student correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time and other K-12 school prevention strategies, such as universal masking, physical distancing, daily screening, and increased ventilation are in place in the K-12 school setting.” This close contact exception does not apply to teachers, staff or other adults in the indoor classroom setting. In addition, it is important to note that a student or staff member who is COVID-19 positive will still be required to isolate, regardless of mask or unmasked. Last evening, the Board of Education supported the recommendation for universal masking in all school buildings, which we believe will eliminate the majority of student quarantines and keep our children in school.
The district has adopted the following policies until further notice:
• Face coverings are required for all staff and students on school buses and private transportation carriers.
• Face coverings are required indoors for all students (regardless of vaccination status), except for students who have a documented medical or developmental condition.
• Face coverings are required indoors for all student-athletes. Student-athletes may remove their mask when participating/competing in their indoor sport, but remain masked while on the bench.
• Face coverings are required indoors for all visitors, coaches and spectators.
• Face coverings are required indoors for all staff, except for staff who have a documented medical condition.
We will continue to follow the guidance of our local, state, and federal health experts for the safety and well-being of our students, staff, families, and communities and reassess as needed.
The district will closely monitor for evidence of in-school transmissions and re-evaluate the mode of instruction plan on a classroom or building level as necessary. We realize you may have many follow-up questions, but we felt it critical to relay this important information to you immediately. Building principals will be sending updates for their specific buildings on August 23, so please monitor your email.
Do not hesitate to reach out to your building principal or my office if you have questions that are not addressed. While no one can predict what the future holds, rest assured, APPS is prepared to come together to address any challenge, and we remain committed to making our schools fantastic places for students to learn and grow. It is going to be an amazing year!
Thank you, and may you continue to enjoy these last weeks of summer!
Original source can be found here.
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